Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and Oscar-nominated actor, Sam Shepard dies at 73

Sam Shepard, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and Oscar-nominated actor is dead.

He died on Thursday at his home in Kentucky at the age of 73. Chris Boneau, a spokesperson for Shepard's family confirms that he died of complications of ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

In his lifetime, Shepard authored more than 40 plays, winning the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1979 for his play "Buried Child," which explored the breakdown of the traditional American family. The Broadway production of the drama was nominated for five Tony Awards in 1996.